Tag Archives: Black Abbey

The Country Music Hall of Fame’s piano keyboard windows look down on the crowd at the 13th Annual Mafiaoza’s Music City Brewers Festival

If I don’t get this down while the blur is still fresh in my mind even more of it will slip away.

Last Saturday evening I attended Session B (and they don’t call it a session without reason) of the 13th Annual Mafiaoza’s Music City Brewers Festival downtown. Thousands? (I don’t have any actual numbers but it was crowded) of folks attended the event which included representatives from most local breweries, many from out-of-state, and a few from other countries: more than 60 in all.

In celebration of Nashville Craft Beer Week, three Black Abbey staff members who do not usually work on the brewing side of the business – although they all have home brewing backgrounds – poured pints of special small batch ales they made on successive nights at the brewery’s taproom. I am fortunate to live on the same side of town as Black Abbey, and was able to drop by the taproom each afternoon, have a pint, and talk to the brewer.

Nashville Craft Beer Week has come and gone, now we can take a breather from the frenzy and rest up for the next event. I made it to the New Belgium Tap Attack at 12 South Taproom on Thursday and dropped by all three of the staff nights at Black Abbey to try the one-night-only releases – more about these events in posts coming later this week.

Lines on Ale (1848)

Fill with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chamber of my brain -
Quantest thoughts - queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
What care I how time advances?
I am drinking ale today.